Shloka 68

भीष्मधनंजयद्वैरथम्

Bhīṣma–Dhanaṃjaya Duel and the Opening Clash

Devanagari script

न विजेतुं रणे भीष्म उत्सहेत धनुर्धरम्‌ आलोकादपि युद्ध हि सममेतद्‌ भविष्यति

Transliteration

na vijetuṁ raṇe bhīṣmam utsaheta dhanurdharam | ālokād api yuddhaṁ hi samam etad bhaviṣyati ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ആ ധനുർധരൻ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ഭീഷ്മനെ ജയിക്കാമെന്ന ധൈര്യവും കാണിക്കുകയില്ല. അവർ ലോകം നിലനിൽക്കുന്നത്രയും കാലം പോരാടിയാലും ഈ സമരം സമബലത്തിൽ തന്നെയായിരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• विजेतुम्: to conquer
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive), Parasmaipada (sense)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भीष्मम्: Bhishma (as object)
• भीष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उत्सहेत: could/should be able to dare
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्सह्
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), Present-system (optative), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धनुर्धरम्: the bow-bearer (archer)
• धनुर्धरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुर्धर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आलोकात्: from sight; even by seeing
• आलोकात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलोक
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• युद्धम्: the battle
• युद्धम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• समम्: equal; evenly matched
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भविष्यति: will be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: लृट् (simple future), Future, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• dhanurdhara (archer)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the limits of mere martial excellence: when two champions of comparable stature confront each other, the outcome may remain unresolved for a long time, suggesting that larger forces—strategy, circumstance, and destiny—shape war beyond individual prowess.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports an assessment of the battlefield balance: Bhīṣma and the opposing archer are portrayed as so evenly matched that neither can decisively defeat the other, implying a prolonged and stalemated engagement.